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Energy and Environment

I have demonstrated a commitment to taking on challenges like drought and climate change that are impacting California. I’m proud to work hard to ensure that the land, air, and water are kept clean through supporting sensible legislation aimed at preventing pollution while balancing economic development and environmental conservation. My priorities include promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy sources like solar, as well as increasing investments in water infrastructure and funding development of new technologies that have the capacity to expand water recycling and desalination capabilities.

I introduced the Regional Infrastructure Accelerator Act, which would attract more private sector investment to public infrastructure projects, like water systems, and cosponsored the Water in the 21st Century Act, which provides smart, cost-effective investments in proven policies such as water efficiency and recycling that are critical to fighting California’s devastating drought.

I am also a member of the Congressional Native American Caucus. California is home to more Native Americans than any other state and since my time in the California legislature I have been committed to defending the rights and ensuring the well-being of the state’s tribal communities.

ONTARIO, CA – Today Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) led a group of Democrats in calling for the resignation of recent Department of Energy appointee William Bradford after recent news reports revealed highly inappropriate social media postings concerning the ethnicity, religion, and gender identity of former President Barack Obama, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, TV news host Megyn Kelly, and Japanese-Americans during World War II.

ONTARIO, CA – Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) joined NextGen Climate President Tom Steyer for tours of projects that are helping to make environmental sustainability a way of life for all residents of the Inland Empire.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) was named to the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade and the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere of the Foreign Affairs Committee. She was also elected Ranking Member of the Indian, Insular and Native Alaskan Affairs Subcommittee and named to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands of the Natural Resources Committee.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael L. Connor announced recently that the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) will be receiving a $7.2 million grant from the Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse program, which is the U.S. Department of the Interior's sustainable water initiative.

Seven California projects received a total of $30 million to provide clean water to communities across California.

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday evening, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) hosted a Telephone Town Hall for constituents with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on preparing for El Niño. It was the latest in a series of outreach efforts to help Inland Empire residents get ready, including an El Niño Preparedness Seminar in Chino and a comprehensive online resources page.

The current drought has created a new normal in our state. It has made clear that we can’t continue down the same road without damaging effects to our economy, our unique natural treasures, and our own well-being. We have all had to work together to lower our water consumption in the short-term and invest in innovative water –saving strategies for the long-term.